AIA’s CEO and COVID-19 initiatives lauded at Malaysia Management Excellence Awards

Leading insurer helped customers stay protected and achieve financial security throughout the pandemic.

Insurance and takaful provider, AIA Malaysia has been recognised at the recently held Malaysia Management Excellence Awards for the outstanding performance of its CEO Ben Ng, as well as the successful outcomes of its COVID-19 initiatives.

Ng was appointed CEO of AIA Malaysia in 2019. He has guided the company towards success despite having to face the many challenges of the pandemic. As the world grappled with the greatest public health crisis in a century, AIA Malaysia forged ahead under his leadership with a simple mission: to help people live well and healthy, and to assist them in planning for and achieving a financially secure future. His leadership helped pave the way to making this purpose a reality, with the company pushing boundaries and emerging as a leader in the market. 

He ensured that the company sped up its digital capabilities, and at the onset of the pandemic, AIA became the first insurer in Malaysia to adopt a 100% digital sales process. All of its Life Planners (agents) were equipped with a fully digitalised platform that covered all their activities and journeys.

Ng also made it a necessity to provide AIA customers with the same seamless online experience by launching its super app, the My AIA App, which gives customers easy access and a complete view of their engagement and interaction with AIA with just a touch of a button. Since its launch, the app has been enjoyed by over 1.3 million users, with a high app rating.

Meanwhile, the pandemic amplified AIA’s two-pronged priorities: to look after the well-being of its people and to continue providing customers with peace of mind.

Whilst pandemic-related risks were generally not covered, the company stepped up and provided end-to-end COVID-19 coverage, making it one of the first in the market to provide medical and critical illness plans that cover medically necessary hospitalisations due to COVID-19. AIA also embarked on various initiatives during the two years that enabled them to address different needs that arose from the crisis.

First, during the height of the crisis, AIA provided extra COVID-19 coverage at no cost, not only to customers but to its Life Planners and staff as well. Additionally, the company also offered various types of COVID-19 coverage for free as the situation evolved – such as protection for children and expecting mothers as well as vaccine complications. 

It also introduced telemedicine services that made virtual consultations between AIA customers and healthcare professionals from the comfort of their homes possible. Customers could make general or medical inquiries have a video consultation or follow-up consultation with the provider, renew prescriptions online, and even have the medication delivered for free to their doorstep.

These bold initiatives and results have brought recognition to Ng and to AIA, as they receive the Executive of the Year - Life Insurance and the COVID Management Initiative of the Year - Life Insurance awards, respectively.

Ng’s leadership had been exceptionally essential during the pandemic, as he led AIA through challenging times and steered the company to go above and beyond as an active partner in Malaysians’ lives, supporting millions of people on their life-long journey to achieve healthier, longer, better lives. 

AIA Malaysia persevered through the challenges and emerged with new, best value propositions and a transformative ecosystem of the ideal symbiotic relationship between the company and its customers. It is one that will stand the test of time, long into post-pandemic.

The Malaysia Management Excellence Awards is presented by Singapore Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2023 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's employee engagements and management initiatives, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].